1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to headwear and, more particularly, to the combination of a headwear piece and an object releasably attached thereto through a tether arrangement.
2. Background Art
The competition for headwear sales continues to increase. Caps and hats are offered by vendors as souvenirs at an ever growing number of events, such as team competitions, including both those that are athletic and academic in nature, golf tournaments, car races, etc. Virtually every venue at which there is some form of competition offers an opportunity for headwear sales. Opportunities for headwear sales exist in many other venues, at which headwear is offered for advertising and/or commemorative purposes.
Because of the extreme competition for these sales, purveyors of headwear continue to seek new designs that will gain the attention of event coordinators and ultimately the base of end purchasers. This challenge to headwear designers has led to a multitude of different ornamentation. The majority of this ornamentation is permanently attached and ranges from two dimensional applications through coloration, stitching and patch application, to attachment of three-dimensional components. The assignee herein has also devised a two-dimensional design scheme that simulates a three-dimensional appearance. It is also known to apply decorative pins and other components directly to the headwear pieces. For example, it is known to magnetically attach divot repair tools and ball marks to headwear designed for use by golfers. This type of headwear is designed primarily to enhance its functional attributes and is generally targeted at golfers rather than souvenir hunters.
In spite of enormous design and marketing efforts made by those in the headwear industry, the industry overall has not effectively exploited headwear as a platform to offer other commemorative items. The industry has failed to recognize that a basic headwear piece, packaged in a certain manner, as for example with an additional commemorative item, could effectively and favorably distinguish the combined package from competitors' headwear products in the minds of the target audience. As a result, heretofore, headwear designers have relied on novel arrangements of color, design, etc. on headwear to attract the attention of purchasers away from headwear offered by their competitors. Since the appeal of the particular ornamentation on a headwear piece is not universal and its acceptance may often be “hit or miss” based upon individual preference, headwear pieces offered by different headwear manufacturers rarely stand out by reasons of this ornamentation and often are viewed as somewhat generic in nature by consumers.
The industry continues to seek out new headwear designs and packages that distinguish from well recognized designs to offer a unique lure to both an existing customer base and potentially a new base of customers.